Cement sales in the Brazilian market improved by 4.6 per cent YoY in September 2025, increasing to 6.068Mt from 5.801Mt in September 2024, according to the country’s cement association, SNIC. 

The association attributed the increase to a still-buoyant labour market but said the impact of high interest rates, default rates and high debt as key factors that impacted the market. 

The unemployment rate reached its lowest level and employed population, formal employment and wage bill all noted record highs. In addition, consumer confidence reached its highest level since December 2024. 

However, high levels of debt and default rates are constraining demand and macroeconomic uncertainty is affecting construction sector confidence. Moreover, the high Selic rate intensifies competition between financial and real estate assets, according to SNIC. “This credit constraint is reflected in the construction sector: launches fell 6.8 per cent in the second quarter of the year, with an even sharper decline in the Minha Casa, Minha Vida programme, which fell 15.5 per cent in the same period. As a direct result, the number of units financed by the SBPE for construction fell 55.4 per cent in the year to August 2025 compared to 2024,” said the association.

In terms of sales regions, while market expansion reached 2.3 per cent YoY to 2.75Mt from 2.687Mt in the southeast, Brazil’s largest market, growth was strongest in the northeast, where sales were up 10 per cent YoY to 1.309Mt from 1.19Mt in September 2024. In the south, volumes increased by 5.8 per cent YoY to 0.991Mt in September 2025 from 0.937Mt. Sales in the central-west advanced by 3.5 per cent YoY to 0.733Mt from 0.708Mt from the year-ago period while in the north, they edged up 2.2 per cent YoY to 0.285Mt from 0.279Mt over the same period. 

Exports improved by a quarter to 5000t in September 2025 from 4000t in September 2024.

January-September 2025
In the first nine months of 2025, Brazil’s cement demand saw a three per cent uptick to 50.203Mt from 48.742Mt in the 9M24. 

Growth was smallest in the southeast as sales edged up by 1.5 per cent YY to 22.954Mt in the 9M25 from 22.604Mt in the equivalent period of the previous year. In the northeast, cement sales advanced by 6.4 per cent YoY to 10.605Mt from 9.969Mt, representing the fastest-growing market in the country. Meanwhile, volumes sold in the south increased by 3.8 per cent YoY to 8.419Mt from 8.113Mt in the 9M24. In the central-west sales picked up by two per cent YoY to 5.848Mt from 5.734Mt while in the north the market expanded by 2.4 per cent YoY to 2.377Mt from 2.322Mt.

Exports in the January-September 2025 period increased by two per cent YoY to 50,000t from 49,000t in the prior-year equivalent period. 

Outlook 
Given the current scenario, the cement industry remains focussed on leveraging demand through housing and infrastructure and expects a two per cent uptick in sales for 2025. 

"The cement industry demonstrates resilience by maintaining positive performance, based on a sales recovery that began in 2024. However, the increased uncertainty in the economy creates an environment of caution. Our projections for 2025 reflect this moderation, but the focus on social housing (MCMV) and sustainable infrastructure solutions, such as concrete paving, are crucial vectors that will continue to contribute to consumption and the country's economic, social, and environmental development,” said SNIC President, Paulo Camillo Penna.